Finding Captain Jack Sparrow at Disney World

With the smash success of the Pirates of the Carribean films, a new Disney star was born - the quirky, mascara-wearing pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack seems to have two major groups of fans - children (of any age, mostly boys) that dream of the pirate life, and women who find his bad-boy charm irresistable. If you are heading to Disney World and belong to one of these groups, or are simply a fan of the captain himself, of pirates, of the movies, or of Disney characters in general, odds are that you'd like a chance to see Captain Jack Sparrow.

The single best way to see Captain Jack is to attend the pirate tutorial held outside of the Pirates of the Carribean attraction in the Adventureland section of the Magic Kingdom. Captain Jack, along with his first mate, Mack, perform this show a half dozen or so times per day - be sure to check the park's schedule for that day's schedule.

During the show, several children are picked from the audience to assist, and are taught pirate knowledge such as swordfighting, bailing water from the ship, and the pirate code. Participants are given a scroll to signify their status as having completed the tutorial and taken the oath. The show itself offers great opporunities for pictures of Jack himself in action.

However, if you are looking for an autograph and/or a photo with Captain Jack himself, you'll probably need to attend a Pirate and Princess Party; as of spring 2008, Captain Jack does not attend any regularly scheduled character meet and greet sessions during the day (the old Adventureland meet and greet has been discontinued).

If you do attend a Pirate and Princess Party with the intention of getting a photo with Jack, it is an excellent idea to see him early - the line can get extremely long (we're talking Cinderella long, here!). Head on over to Adventureland, and you'll find the meet and greet location near the Dole Whip stand. As soon as you cross the bridge into Adventureland, look to your right, and you should see a sign for Captain Jack. Again, it is an excellent idea to get here early (before the party's scheduled start time is ideal) - even though you'll have to wait a bit, the line won't be as long as it gets later, and you won't waste your party time in line. If you can't make it early, the next best times to meet Captain Jack during the party are very late or during parade times. If you're not concerned about an interaction with Jack, you will have the opporunity to snap a photo during the parades.

There have been scattered reports of Jack pausing for pictures and/or autographs during the day near the Pirates of the Carribean attraction, as well as at random places in Adventureland as he makes his way to and fro. If you have your heart set on a photo with Jack, don't count on these - they are very rare moments of Disney magic!